Robbins (1913)

Robbins (1913)

Robbins (1913), offers a formal description of the creation story by Ovid. He states that Ovid’s theories are similar to several cosmic theories of creation, such as Anaxagoras, Empedocles, and Varro. Materials and ideas from previous authors were useful in helping Ovid come up with his arguments about creation. However, there are fundamental differences between Ovid’s views and those of the Anaxagoras theory. Besides, the Ovid metamorphoses and Empedocles have high similarity in their concepts. The four elements of the universe and chaos are found in both theories. The Titan that is common in the metamorphoses is derived from the Empedocles theory. Primarily, Ovid connects creation to a particular god who has higher powers.

Moreover, Ovid has borrowed ideas from the Lucretius. For instance, both of them commence by describing the chaotic state of creation. Ovid argues that the chaos was due to conflicting elements, while Lucretius argues that atomic motions led to the chaotic state of the creation. The two also differ in that, according to Ovid, the intervention of a god brings the conflicts to an end. Lucretius brings the conflict to an end through the attraction of likes. Despite the differences between these two, I agree that the ideas of Ovid are borrowed from one or more philosophic sources.